Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)
CEOS was created in 1984 by the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations (G-7). It brings together some 20 national space agencies and an equal number of affiliates and observers, and aims to achieve international coordination in the planning of satellite missions for Earth observation and to maximize the use of data from these missions worldwide.  A delegation consisting of the CEOS Chairman, the previous and next CEOS chairs, and the Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) Chairman, represents CEOS at IGOS Partners' meetings. 

There are several web sites relevant to CEOS activities: 
CEOS Home Page at http://www.ceos.org/
ESA CEOS Home Page (ESA) 
CEOS Activities (NASDA) including CEOS Brochure (pdf), CEOS Newsletter
CEOS Disaster Information Server (NOAA) 
CEOS Information Locator System (CILS) 
Short description of CEOS
CEOS WGISS (Working Group on Information Systems and Service) 
CEOS WGCV (Working Group on Calibration and Validation) 

Sponsors of the Global Observing Systems (G3OS)
The United Nations Organizations and the International Council for Science that jointly sponsor one or more of the Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS, GTOS) are all partners in IGOS: 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC)

International Council for Science (ICSU)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

In 1997, the sponsoring organizations of the three Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GOOS and GTOS) formed the Sponsors Group for the Global Observing Systems (G3OS) , including the G3OS programme offices, in order to ensure a continuing close synergy and enhanced information exchange among the three Global Observing Systems, and to develop a common strategy toward their implementation and their application. The Sponsors Group is a mechanism for joint discussion of IGOS issues, and its members are all partners in IGOS. 

Programme offices of the Global Observing Systems
Each of the three Global Observing Systems has a programme office or secretariat that directs its day-to-day operations. The director of the office usually represents each system at IGOS Partners' meetings. 

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)

International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA)(No web site)
IGFA is an informal grouping of national research funding agencies. The objectives of IGFA are to exchange information on national global change research programmes, supporting programmes and facilities; to discuss approaches to the integration and phasing of global change research in the light of available resources; to promote the coordination of access to and deployment of specialized research facilities; and to aim to optimize the allocation of national contributions to global change research. 

International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)
The IGBP of the International Council for Science (ICSU) describes and studies the interactive physical and biological processes that regulate the Earth system, the unique environment that it provides for life, the changes that are occurring, and how they are influenced by human actions. It has established an integrated multidisciplinary research programme consisting of eight Core Projects: past global changes; international global atmospheric chemistry; biospheric aspects of the hydrological cycle; global change and terrestrial ecosystems; land-use and land-cover change; land-ocean interactions in the coastal zone; joint global ocean flux study; and global ocean ecosystem dynamics. These are linked with three Framework Activities: global analysis, interpretation and modelling; a data and information system; and a system for analysis, research and training. 

World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
The purpose of the WCRP, which is jointly supported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, is to develop the fundamental scientific understanding of the physical climate system and climate processes needed to predict climate variations on scales from seasons to centuries, and to assess the extent of human influence on climate.  The programme encompasses studies of the global atmosphere, oceans, sea- and land-ice, and the land surface which together constitute the earth's physical climate system.  The scientific priorities of the WCRP are established by its Joint Scientific Committee in concert with the international climate research community.  Implementation of the programme is effected through a Joint Planning Staff in Geneva and five International Project Offices and draws together national scientific activities to provide a global perspective on aspects of the climate system which would otherwise not be available. 

IGOS PARTNERS MEETINGS
The IGOS Partners meet regularly in association with the meetings of the G3OS Sponsors Group and the CEOS Plenary. Reports of  the meetings are available on the meetings page. For further information see the IGOS Partnership Process document.